Filing cabinet



Nov. 8, 1932. J. R. MATHIE FILING CABINET Filed Aug. 15; 195o PatentedNov. 8, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOSEPH ROUS MATHIE, OF BWANAMKUBWA, NORTHERN RHODESIA, UNION F SOUTH AFRICA FILING CABINETApplication led August 15, 1930, Serial No. 475,570, and in. the Unionof South Africa. August 20, 1929.

An object of the present invention is to facilitate the filing ofdocuments incabinets of vertical filing drawers.

When filing documents in such cabinets it is yusual for a collection ofpapers to be held in the hand or placed on top of the cabinet, and ineither case it is difficult to examine the documents properly or to markthem for iling. An alternative is to have an ofice table adjacent to thefiling cabinets, which however is not always practicable7 especiallywhen the cabinets are arranged in series or rows.

The present invention provides a table on which the documents can belaid so that they can readily be seen and marked; said table beingnormally contained within a drawer but adapted to be drawn out and heldin a suitable position for use. Preferably it normally lies in thedrawer in a vertical position in the same way as the filing covers andis adapted to be readily brought into a horizontal position andprotruding from the drawer, when required.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. I is a perspective view of the front portion of a drawer with thetable extended for use.

Fig. II is a side elevation showing the table stowed and also partiallyextended.

2 indicates the drawer having the usual high front 3. The table consistsof a flat plate 4 provided on its underside with a pair of stiiieninvribs 5 from which extend a pair of lugs 6. n said lugs are cross pins 7which slide in vertical guides 8 iixed to the inside face of the drawerfront 3. Stops 9 are provided to prevent the pins 7 from leaving the 40upper ends of the guides.

The arrangement described enables the table to stand vertically withinthe drawer as shown by the full lines in Fig. II; and this is theposition it occupies when it is not in 45 use.

In order to extend it, it is drawn up to the position indicated by thedotted lines in Fig. II, the pins 7 sliding up the guides 8. It is thentilted as indicated by the arrow, and

50 allowed to rest on the top edge-10 of the drawer front 3. The lugsare so positioned towards the rear of the table that when the table isthus resting, its centre is well forward of its point of support so thatits weight, and the weight `of any load carried by it, holds it down;whilst it is prevented from tilting beyond the horizontal position bythe contact of the pins 7 with the stops 9.

Documents to be filed are laid on the table;

rand in order thaty they may be easily seen stowed away within thedrawer `at the frontV end thereof, guides on the inside of the frontwall of the drawer, lugs extending from the underside of the table andhaving means at their ends engaging in said guides to constrain thetable for a vertical sliding movement and a tilting movement to bring itto a horizontal position and extending from the front of the drawer toserve as a support for documents which are being iled, said table in itshorizontal position-resting on the top edge of the drawer front, andstops on said guides for so limiting the vertical sliding movement ofthemeans that the table is held in a horizontal position by said stops andby its contact with the top edge of the drawer front.

In testimon whereof I aiiix my signature.

J SEPH ROUS MATHIE.

